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Money, Money, Money… or Should I Say… Love, Love, Love

Valentines Day is upon us! What are your plans? If the words “Husband” or “Wife” describe you then you have a big responsibility! Here’s your assignment…

– May Valentines Day not be a day we assess our financial state but our marital state. May it be a date to not say “what can we afford to do?” but “what can we do to spend time together?” May it be a time to examine our marriage relationship and make changes based on what we see. May it be a time to assess our marriage and be honest and open with our spouses about what we want to improve on in our marriage. May we rejoice in one another!

“He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.” – Song of Solomon 2:4

So, on this week’s money segment, I want to take a break from couponing (though tune in when I get back to it because Monday I spent $60 on $153 worth of food – yes saved nearly $100! – but, back to Valentines…) and focus on what Tammie Tubbs had me come on her show to talk about. I have 4 points… 3 I want to talk about today and 1 I’ll save for next week.

1) Why to even bother about date nights? If you are a believer, the Bible calls us to model our marriages after Christ and His church. As Christians we are the bride of Christ. Just as we as Christians are called to take time out each day to study and spend time with the Lord and to regularly “not forsake assembling together” to commune with the Lord, in our marriages we are called to do the same – to daily study and spend time with our spouses and to frequently be together. So, a date is a way to spend time with your spouse, learning about them and ministering to them.

2) But we don’t have any… MONEY! (you could finish my sentence, couldn’t you?!). A #1 complaint against “date night” is the lack of $$$. Well, here are a few tips for the money/date night conundrum:
– Check out today’s recipe menu! I can prepare a full meal for Ryan and me for $5 (before dessert, which could be a cheap bowl of ice cream)! Dinner at home can be romantic – send the kiddos away (see below) so that it’s just you 2, light up some candles, dress up a bit, use a tablecloth, put on some music, dim the lights, enjoy time together with each other.
– Breakfast or “snack” dates – often main dishes/meals are the most expensive parts of the meal. Just go get a breakfast or ice cream sundae, an appetizer, dessert, or coffee. Choose wisely and you can stay less than $5!
– $5 dates – right after Ryan and I got married we had weekly $5 dates. We did everything from splitting a Bop’s Frozen Custard to Happy Hour drinks and appetizer at Sonic to Root Beer Floats out by the lake at the Sanderson Center on campus. Setting a $5 limit helped us get creative and we had more fun on some of those dates than we have on many dates topping $50 for dinner and a movie.
– Skip drinks, split an entree – Ryan and I can enjoy the nicest restaurants in Starkville for under $25 if we’re willing to just drink water (drinks are often $2 each!), split an appetizer, and split an entree. We normally get fairly full (the purpose of a “date” is the experience, not the quantity of food!) and love every minute.

3) But we have… KIDS! (this generally is associated with item #2! 🙂 Having children is a blessing and just adds the need for a little more creativity to create the perfect date. Here are some ideas:
– Put the kiddos to bed a little early and just enjoy the romantic dinner above with your spouse – $5, safe, easy, affordable
– Find a friend and “swap kids” once per week – make sure you find someone you can trust – one night you get all the kiddos, the next week you’re free to go on your date
– Go to a park, pack a romantic picnic, let the kids play while you enjoy time together
– Make the most of every moment – naptime, playtime, movie time, etc are your moments as a couple – grab a glass of sparkling grape juice and enjoy every minute!

4) But my husband doesn’t want to go… stay tuned, we’ll tackle this one next week – I might even get my hubby to contribute! 🙂